Puppets of Zero
by sagitarius
Summary: Trapped in a place where there is no time, four beings hear the desperate cry of a girl down onto her last hope. Wanting to escape the eternal void that only their late masters had had the power to save them from, they reach out for this new exit.
1. Chapter 1

I'm just going to skip all the chit chat and head straight to the point here. This story takes the most basic crossover plot of Zero; mainly, Louise summons someone other than Saito. This time though, it isn't just one.

The story in itself was inspired partly by Corvus no Genmu's 'Familiars of Zero'. While I didn't take any of his familiar ideas, it did get me thinking on who would be a good match, and then I thought of the perfect ones.

Since anything more would be pure spoiler material, I'm just gonna kick things of here. Remember, since I'm writing this here, it means that I don't own anything related to either Negima, or Zero no Tsukaima.

**Chapter I: A New Purpose**

Four figures flitted about in a dark, unending void; a place untouched by time; where space alone ruled, until its creator called out a command to it. Of course, as said creator was no more, the four beings could only really hope for a new life; not that any of them would have cared… or so they would let on. They were nothing but puppets in the grand scheme of everything after all; no more than mere puppets to be used and thrown away by their master once their purpose was fulfilled.

Masterless, all they could do now was continue their existence with their own thoughts.

The eldest, the most unique among them was calm, but at the same time, yearned to feel the light of day again, so that he might one day enjoy the thrill of combat, as he had in his last moments.

The second eldest, undisputedly the wildest among them wanted nothing more than to be out of this prison be out and free, even if it meant serving another; at least he'd have some semblance of freedom.

The second youngest, perhaps the closest to their master's original design in terms of thought, wished nothing but the fulfilment of his master's own ambitions; yet he knew that such a wish would not be granted; and so now he wished for nothing but a new master.

The youngest of them all, the coldest personality, as befitting her nature and abilities, and the only female, was indifferent to all this; yet even she felt some longing to be out in the world again.

"I beg of you…"

Four sets of eyes widened all at once, as a voice filled the emptiness around them, a green light forming a gateway right in front of their eyes.

"My slave who lives somewhere in the universe!"

"_Slave?"_ all four thought, one in curiosity, another with annoyance, the third with an inkling of hope, and the last with indifference.

"Oh sacred, beautiful and strong familiar spirit!"

Sacred and beautiful? Certainly not them, although the three males thought for a second whether their 'sister' would agree with their thoughts. Still, if they were being called for their strength, then that was something they had in spades.

"I desire and here I plead from my heart!"

There was desperation in that voice; the voice of a girl, probably no older than those in the ragtag group that they had opposed during their last walk in reality. A desperation that all of them felt, deep down in their own cores, for they had no heart to truly yearn with.

"Answer to my guidance!"

That was the only thing they needed to hear. With a determination that many would not have expected of them, all four of the puppets given life reached out for the portal that would give them escape.

-X-

It was pathetic really, that Louise had started to expect the coming of an explosion whenever she tried to cast any form of magic. And since a stronger spell meant a stronger explosion, it was even less of a surprise for her that the spell used to summon one's familiar had produced her strongest explosion to date.

Instantly, her boasts –or should she have called it a hopeful bluff– of summoning a familiar stronger than any of her classmates' came to her. Even if she did –and that was a BIG 'if'– manage to summon a majestic creature, there was no way that Kirche would ever let her live it down if said creature was killed by the very magic that brought it here in the first place. She really hoped that, at the very least, her familiar would survive, even if it was just something like a mouse.

Once the smoke cleared, and her familiar became visible, Louise simply froze in place, staring with complete despair. What stood before her would forever cement her name as 'Louise the Zero' among all her classmates. It was far from her wishful dreams of powerful dragons or majestic Gryphons. It was even worse than simply getting a mundane creature like a bird or cat; at least then she would have had something in common with her favourite sister.

It was a commoner. A _group_ of commoners at that, siblings if she had to hazard a guess.

All four of them were dressed similarly, even the one that was obviously female. A simple button up, long sleeve shirt with a standing collar in various colours, matching pants, and just as simplistic shoes. They had silvery white, spiky hair, but clearly, none were old in the least, and slightly pale complexions.

The one at the very front had his hair kept down in a rather simple manner, with a multitude of bangs framing his face, but well groomed nonetheless. His clothes were as grey as his eyes, the colour of stone. His single raised eyebrow was the only thing that hinted at his curiosity at the situation.

The one right behind him had the same bangs, but were much longer in comparison, wilder as well; his silver locks flaring about like a white flame, even as the wind caused it to wave about. His clothes were a light red with orange trims, and his glaring eyes, a mix of blazing gold and burgundy. A frown was set upon his features, though for what, she wasn't sure.

The next looked the most different among them. Like the first two, he had bangs framing the right side of his face, as well as his forehead. The other side though, was kept completely clear, the rest of his hair flaring out behind him, as if it were caught in a permanent gale. His attire was pure white, and his eyes, an odd silver that shined with… amusement? Joy? Louise really couldn't tell.

The last was the most well kempt in appearance, her hair reached neck level with only a slight tuft of the silver locks fanning out at the right side of her head. Both her eyes, and clothing were as blue as the sea. Unlike her brothers, the girl's expression was unreadable, opting simply to stare at Louise with an emotionless gaze.

"This makes all you said worth it! I never would have guessed you'd summon a bunch of plebeians."

The words of her long time rival, and the laughter that followed brought her out of her musings.

"Sh-Shut Up! It was just a little screw up!" the pinkette tried to defend herself, a blush borne from embarrassment upon her face.

"That's our Louise the Zero. She never fails to meet our expectations!" That remark from another student had all of them laughing again.

"Mr. Colbert!" Louise shouted, her desperation clear in her voice. "Please! Let me try the summoning once more!"

Mr. Colbert shook his head, refusing the idea. "I cannot allow that, Miss Vallière."

"Why not?" asked the girl.

"It is strictly forbidden. When you are promoted to a second year student, you must summon a familiar which is precisely what you just did." He allowed a small pause as he stared at the odd quadruplets.

"But they can't be my familiars!" Louise shouted vehemently, flailing her arms, "I've never even heard about a commoner for a familiar before, much less four of them."

"That may be true, but regardless, no matter how odd this may be, these four are still the very beings you've summoned. The springtime summoning is a sacred rite that can and will only be performed once by each student, regardless of the outcome. Whether you like it or not, you have no choice but to accept them as yours, so please just continue with the ritual," he explained tiredly, as if he was dealing with a particularly difficult situation.

"_**Are you the one that summoned us?"**_ four voices asked in sync, though the only reason that the teacher and students were able to tell that it was a question was because of the tone. In response, Louise whirled around and shot a scathing glare towards her summons. This didn't seem to affect them at all, however, as each of them continued to look at her with the same expression as before.

The impromptu staring contest finally ended with Louise conceding to the combined force of four greatly different, yet similar stares, heaving a sigh as she got right in front of the boy in grey. _"As if getting a bunch of commoners wasn't bad enough, I don't even understand what they're saying. And to make things worse, one of them is a __girl__!"_

"All of you had better be grateful. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for commoners like you," she said, only to get flat looks in return, causing her anger to rise.

With a huff of annoyance, she raised her wand skywards, "My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière. Pentagon of the Five Elemental Powers; grant your blessings upon these humble beings, and mark them as my familiar!" she chanted, before tapping the grey garbed boy on the head, then the one in red, then white, and lastly, the girl in blue.

She ignored the quirked and/or twitching eyebrows that they raised and went back to the grey clothed boy, jumping slightly to place a kiss on his lips. His shocked reaction would have been something funny to many of those that had met him in the battlefield, as he recoiled, taken aback.

His 'siblings' all grew wide-eyed by that point, and flinched back as well. Of course, that didn't stop Louise from doing the same thing to them, although she was a bit hesitant with the female of the group.

Before any of them could even voice their thoughts, a burning pain shot through all of them as runes started to graft themselves upon their bodies: the grey eyed boy on his forehead, his wild haired brother on his right hand, the white clad boy on his chest, and the girl on her left hand. Yet, despite the agony of it the branding, all four endured it with nothing but clenched hands, and teeth until it ebbed away.

"_**What the fuck was that for!"**_ the boy in red shouted, sending a glare towards Louise, causing her to step back at the sudden outburst. Although she didn't understand what he said, his actions and expression made it clear as day what his intent was.

Still, she recovered soon enough, her normal posture returning as her face flushed scarlet. "H-how dare you! What kind of commoner speaks to a noble in such a tone!" came the pinkette's retort, her seething gaze now focused on her aggressive familiar. Clearly, they understood the intent behind Louise's word, as the gold-eyed boy's face grew angrier.

Just as the aggressive male looked as though he was about to make his own comeback, he was stopped when his grey clothed counterpart raised his hand in a 'halt' motion.

"_**Stop this senseless arguing, Quartum. She cannot understand you anymore than we can understand them,"**_ he ordered, an underlying threat in his tone as he kept his eyes narrowed on his violent 'brother'.

Quartum's response was less than compliant, now focusing his heated gaze upon the boy in front of him. _**"Don't think that you can order me around, Tertium."**_

Grey eyes narrowed even further, as a frown made its way to Tertium's features. "_**That's Fate, to you, Quartum. I dropped that name a long time ago, and abandoned it completely in my last fight."**_

"_**So you really have betrayed our master?"**_ the one in white accused, speaking for the first time.

"_**Believe what you wish Quintum,"**_ replied Fate, now glaring at the other boy. _**"All I said was that I threw away my old name. Whether that means I abandoned our master is up to you to decide."**_

The argument between the three continued, even as the rest of the students were ushered back to the castle that was Tristain Magic Academy, leaving only the blue clothed girl and her summoner to watch the dispute. It was only when things started looking like the beginning of a fight when Louise had finally had enough.

"Would you three SHUT UP!" ordered the pink haired girl, her wand pointed straight at them, engulfing them in a mighty explosion.

Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blasted out, blowing away the smoke, and Louise found herself with four glaring, silver haired familiars staring straight at her.

"I repeat myself: WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT FOR?" Quartum demanded, much louder than last time.

Louise's eyes widened. "I understood that!" she exclaimed, completely ignoring her familiars cry.

"And it seems that we understood that," Fate supplied, his glare now replaced by a small, amused smile. "That was rather violent for a translation spell, wouldn't you agree?"

"I…" Louise paused, her face flush with embarrassment, "that was supposed to be a silencing spell," she admitted sheepishly.

A small chuckle was the grey clothed male's only response. "Well, it doesn't really matter," he said, right before his face cleared of all humour. "Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but your name is Louise right? I may not have understood your language, but a name is easy enough to pick out."

Louise nodded in confirmation.

"Are you the one that summoned us? Our new master?" this time, it was the one with silver eyes that spoke, getting another nod of confirmation from Louise.

"That's right. As of right now, you four are my familiars," she announced, with what small amount of pride she could garner from completing a successful summon, even if it was just a bunch of commoners. The 'new master' comment wasn't missed though, and she idly wondered whether she actually was the first to have human familiars, or perhaps they were simply servants under a now late noble. _"Yes,"_ Louise decided, _"That was definitely the case."_

"Pft… this annoying little brat! _This_ is our new master!" the red clad boy exclaimed disbelievingly. "You've got to be kidding! She's just what, thirteen? And you expect her to be _our_ master?"

"That's not the best argument to make when you yourself were beaten in seconds by a ten year old," Fate commented snidely, earning him a seething glare.

"Hey, that kid managed to beat you too!"

"True, but at least I managed to put up a fight, as opposed to you, who barely stood a chance," the grey eyed male countered, quieting his gold eyed counterpart before turning towards Louise, who was looking at them rather strangely.

"Since we all already know your name, I think it should only be right that we tell you ours now shouldn't it, miss Louise?" another nod, this time returned by one of his own. "In that case, allow me to go first. My former name is Tertium Averruncus, but I'd prefer it if you called me Fate," he introduced himself, giving her a slight bow before giving a stony glare toward his brother in red.

The gold eyed boy grumbled, but complied nonetheless. "Quartum, Averruncus of…" that was as far as he got before Fate hand landed on his shoulder, gripping tightly. Being the physically strongest of them all, Quartum had no delusions that the older Averruncus could easily kill him, much as he hated the thought of it. His message was very clear though. The motives behind it, he wasn't quite sure, but the order was clear. This once, he would obey completely. "Just… Quartum Averruncus."

"And I am Quintum Averruncus," Quintum followed, already getting the order from the Averruncus of the earth. While normally, he wouldn't bother with an order from someone who he considered a traitor, he would allow it, if just for now.

"Sextum Averruncus," the final one spoke, for the first time since her summoning, her tone not betraying her stoic features.

All of them bowed once each, making Louise just a little bit relieved. _"Oh well, at least they show proper respect… except for that Quartum. Odd names though, but who really cares? Still… it would have been better if they were some sort of magical creatures instead."_

She started walking back to campus with those thoughts in mind, her new familiars following closely behind, with two of them sending the one in the lead a curious glance of their own.

-X-

And done! Okay, I know what some of you may be thinking, Fate is acting a bit OOC. However, in my defence, he's been receiving a large amount of character development lately… while _fighting_. What you saw up there was merely what I believe would be the outcome of his personality, combined of course, with the fact that the Lifemaker is gone _and_ that summoning a familiar does end up with them brainwashed, if only slightly.

The personalities of the other Averrunci are ones that I built up from what little I know about them. Honestly, there have been three people already that have taken Negi _and_ the Ala Alba as Louise's familiars, but none of them gave much mind to these guys, and I honestly believe that giving a person of mass destruction like Louise the four surviving 'puppets' created by the Lifemaker, who is pretty much the Negima world's equivalent for Brimir (or is it the other way around) opens a lot of possibilities. Not only do they hold more power than what those in the Zero universe are capable of, unlike Negi and crew, these guys don't pull their punches… or at least not as much. Plus, it also adds in one plot point that the other Negima characters simply wouldn't give: them trying to become more 'human'. The idea for this struck me while I was re-reading the fight between Negi and Quartum. Mainly, Negi's parting words.

As a final note, I'd like to ask all of you a question: Which Averruncus do you think should beat down on Guiche? I'm fine with all of them at a time if that's what you people want, but honestly, I just can't decide. I do hope that you don't ask for Sextum though. Among all of them, she's the least likely to have a motive.


	2. Chapter 2

Welcome one and all to the second instalment of Puppets of Zero. I'll cut right to the chase here. I'm a big fan of Gabriel Blessing's 'Hill of swords' (but then again, I'm pretty sure over half of you readers are as well. It was the one that put Zero no Tsukaima on the crossover fanfictions map, after all) so some of the scenes here are quite similar to his own work. Honestly, there just wasn't a better sequence to do the first part of the story, than in the same way he did.

I don't own Negima or Zero no Tsukaima.

**Chapter II: Prelude to a new beginning**

Night had already descended upon Tristain magic academy as the many residents of the school went about their usual nightly business. In the room of a certain noble girl though, things were very far from usual.

"Another world…" the words were spoken with as much exasperation as Louise was capable of mustering as she stared at her grey clad familiar. Fate only nodded in response, one had in his pocket and the other resting on at his side.

"That's just ridiculous. How do you expect me to believe something so absurd," the pink haired girl said dismissively, turning away from the eldest Averrunci… and then proceeding to undress herself.

A curious brow rose on the earth magi's face as he stared near impassively at his new master's rather… odd –considering the circumstances– actions.

"Mistress Louise, not to be rude or anything, but should you really be undressing in front of us?" it was a calm voice from behind the third Averruncus that asked, the deep tenor and calm tone betraying its owner to be Quintum.

"You're my familiars, undressing in front of you is no more indecent than undressing before a dog." the pinkette replied, as if it were the most obvious answer, right before tossing her discarded shirt over her shoulder, revealing a light pink nightgown. "Wash those," she ordered.

Fate wasn't quite sure how he felt about that. Sure, he was very grateful to the young mage… well, there were certain limits being pushed here.

"First you call us dogs, now you expect us to wash your clothes for you!" clearly, Quartum's limit was the lowest of all. "You little-" but whatever he had to say was cut off immediately as a hard elbow was shot to his stomach, causing him to lose his breath.

Louise, turning to see what had transpired with her recently labelled 'least favourite familiar' was treated to the odd sight of Quartum, doubled over after what appeared to be an elbow strike from Fate, fixing the wild haired teen (by appearance) with a stern glare, while her clothes hang off of his other arm..

"Don't even think about trying to attack our master, Quartum," the white clad Averruncus said from behind the older puppet, giving the flame user a glare of his own, before he turned towards the pinkette. "We will see to it that the task is done," he said, bowing.

A small smile crept upon the young mages lips. _"Well, at least those two are obedient,"_ she thought, her eyes going from Fate, and then to Quintum. _"The girl I'm not so sure about, but she's better than Quartum at least."_ "See to it that you do," she replied, turning back around, "and don't come back until they're spotless."

"Of course master," four voices chorused behind her, one begrudgingly so, while another was nigh emotionless, so much so that a chill actually went up her spine. Sometimes, Sextum's tone was just plain disturbing to hear.

She heard the sound of footfalls and the opening of her door, just as she started to tuck herself in. "Mistress," a voice called out, causing her to turn around. All the other Averrunci had already left, and she could hear the sound of their feet hitting the stone floors as they walked away from her room. Fate was the only one remaining, standing by the doorway. Louise gave him a curious look. "Would it be alright with us to familiarize ourselves with the layout of the castle once we are done with our task?"

The youngest Vallière's curiosity rose a little at the question, contemplating her familiars request. Finally, she nodded. "Fine, it would be good for all f you to know where to go if I needed to do anything around the castle for me. Go ahead."

With a silent nod, the eldest of the four Averrunci started to turned around to leave, grabbing the door handle behind him. "Oh, by the way, familiar," the pinkette called out, stopping Fate in his tracks as he turned towards his young master. "Since you seem to have the most authority, I want you to make sure to keep the other three in line. If any one of you causes trouble, it will ultimately be seen as my fault. So don't let anything happen, understand?"

"Of course, Mistress," Fate nodded immediately, before proceeding to close the doors.

With a tired sigh, Louise Vallière pulled the blanket over her and slept.

-X-

"So _why_ do all four of us have to go do this again?" Quartum grumbled. Fate, who had long since caught up with the other three, gave a very uncharacteristic sigh of annoyance at the flame user's grousing.

"Not all of us are needed for this, you imbecile. The only reason we are doing this is so that all of us can better comprehend this castle's structure," Quintum explained impatiently, clearly just as annoyed by the fire users constant complaints.

Much to his dismay, Quartum had soon opened his mouth again, more annoyed than last time. "Fine, better question then: why are we doing this in the first place?" he questioned, sending a hard glare at the wind and earth Averrunci, both of which were in front of him.

Once more, Fate sighed, deciding to answer the newest protest himself. "Mistress Louise was the one that summoned us when we would otherwise be imprisoned for eternity, due to our creator's permanent demise. Not only do we owe it to her, but she had claimed us as her familiars shortly afterwards. Personally, I believe that she's more than earned our service."

The heated glare Quartum sent Fate was completely ignored as they continued walking, trying to find… well, wherever they washed clothes around here. Finally, after minutes of intense glaring, the flame user simply decided to just drop the matter… though he still didn't like what was going on.

He turned his head back to look behind him, meeting the ever impassive gaze of Sextum, the Averruncus of water. "What about you? What's your opinion on this?" he asked irritably, not caring either way, nor was he really expecting an answer.

…

…

…

"We are puppets…"

He still got one though, which only succeeded in raising his already great frustration.

"Ah you four! Aren't you that rabble of commoners that Louise summoned?"

Four sets of eyes turned to the side to find a blonde haired boy in an excessively flamboyant version of the uniform they had seen the other male students wearing. Standing beside him was a brunette, probably an underclassman from her slightly younger appearance, looking back at them with curious eyes.

"Yeah. What's it to you blondie?" Quartum snapped out, his scowl darkening. The rest of the Averrunci paid him no mind and simply moved on.

"Hmph… such insolence," the blonde boy snorted, taking a rather dramatic offended pose. It made the fire user sick to his core. "Then again, I suppose that such is to be expected from the familiars of the Zero," he added with fake sympathy, and a new pose to match it. Seriously, where the hell do they get these people?

"Care to repeat that again?" Quintum suddenly asked, stopping in his tracks; a veiled threat hanging onto his words as he gave the gaudy student a sidelong glance. The Averruncus of the wind was easily the most loyal of the Averrunci that actually possessed some semblance of free will, and to hear an insult to his mistress… well, that was just unforgiveable.

A frown found its way to the blonde boy's face as he stared at the spiky haired Averruncus. "I was simply stating fact. Your summoner, Louise, is not a proper noble, being a failure in magic. As the familiar is a reflection of the mage, it should, therefore, only make sense that you are incapable of giving the proper respect to nobles."

The two Averrunci's eyes narrowed at the declaration and motioned towards the pair of students, causing the female mage to back up a little. The male, on the other hand, narrowed his own eyes, a self-assured smirk on his feature, readying a _rose_ of all things into a ready position.

Taking the act as a challenge, both the flame and wind Averrunci allowed mana to flow into their hands, ready to cast a spell to take the 'rose totting brat' (as Quartum had mentally dubbed him) out. It didn't need to be much, even a single Sagitta Magica would probably suffice, and they were more than ready to launch one; preferably somewhere fatal.

The boy had insulted their mistress, after all. At least that's what Quintum reasoned to himself. As for Quartum's reason… well, he really needed something to vent on right now. Of course, neither of them really got a chance.

"Quartum, Quintum, stop this foolishness now," a fourth voice commanded, all eyes now turning to the gray clad Averruncus who was glaring at his two siblings.

"He insulted mistress Louise," the wind Averruncus stated, eyes narrowing on the grey clad mage.

"And what you are doing right now is driving her name further into the ground," Fate countered, his slate grey eyes focused on his spiky haired counterpart. "As familiars, our actions are seen as an extension of our mistress. Start a fight here, and it will be our mistress that suffers retribution."

Quintum stiffened at that. An easy to miss sign, but one caught by all the other Averrunci. With a resigned sigh, he let the matter drop. Without another word, he started walking down the hallway, Quartum begrudgingly following his example.

Fate stayed behind to observe the boy who was, even now, giving a superior smirk, one that caused the smallest of scowls to spread on his face. "I tell you this only once: repeat such a thing in my presence again, and I will ensure that everyone sees just what happens when our mistress is insulted." Turning around as well, but not before giving a parting comment that chilled the blonde to the core: "I'm sure this place could use some more statues."

He never even bothered to pay attention to whatever reaction the boy had after that.

-X-

The four Averrunci stood atop the dorm area of the magical school, overlooking the landscape in absolute silence. They'd long since finished the arduous task of cleaning Louise's dirty clothes, thanks, in part, to Siesta, a maid they ran into. Exploring the castle didn't take much time either, despite its size. Being able to split the exploring into four areas (which was surprisingly easy, considering their rather shaky group dynamics), and doing so at superhuman speeds really helped in that regard.

Now, they were simply watching the two moons of the new world they were summoned into.

"A world where only nobles can use magic huh? Heh, bet all the mages here would have a heart attack if they ever hear learn Mundus Magicus," Quartum sniggered, sitting upon the edge dorm's spire, one leg dangling over the edge.

"Ridiculous as it may be, that is quite possible… I just hope that mistress Louise is not among such people," spoke Quintum, for once completely agreeing with the fire user. Like his brother, he too was near the edge of the roof, standing steadily despite the steep sloped and rounded surface; one arm bent at the elbow and kept behind his back as his eyes fell upon the green and crimson moons.

"If we can bring it to her attention gently, then that should be the case," said the eldest Averruncus, standing a little above the other two in his signature stance: one hand in his pocket and the other by his side; grey eyes scanning the moonlit landscape.

"If that is the case," Quintum started begrudgingly, "then I suppose that that little order of yours earlier was a good idea."

For a moment, the Averruncus of the wind received two very curious stares from both his brothers, only for recognition to set in right afterwards. "Oh… right. Why did you stop us from using magic earlier?" the flame user questioned, turning to his grey eyed counterpart. "Hell, while we're on that topic, why'd you stop me from saying that I was the Averruncus of fire! It probably would have stopped that little brat from telling us to wash her clothes!"

Fate didn't give an immediate response as his eyes wandered to both of the other two male Averrunci's interrogative stares. "I already explained my reasoning for stopping you from using magic earlier." He started. "Mistress Louise asked me to ensure that none of you do anything that would have led to trouble as it would only end up being her fault."

"As for stopping you from oh so arrogantly proclaiming yourself as 'the Averruncus of fire'… well to be honest, that was just so that no one would know what to expect from any of us."

The explanation seemed to be enough to mollify the Averruncus of the wind. It made sense to him, to do such a thing. Quartum, on the other hand, seemed to be intent on being too hot headed at the moment and didn't even bother trying to puzzle things together.

"And _what_ is that supposed to mean exactly?" the fire mage demanded, irritated.

Deciding to simply abandon all restraints at keeping his usual personality intact, Fate let out an irritated sigh, his free hand rubbing his temples. "Really now Quartum," he started insufferably, "I know for a fact that you're smarter than even most human geniuses. Even behind all of that hot headedness, surely something like this is simple to figure out? Without our previous master, we became very well near powerless, limited to what little bit of our mana lingered within us, barely enough to cast a beginner's spell. The sheer fact that all four of us are close to a third of our original power now is proof enough of just how much potential power our current mistress possesses. What is more, we do not know just _how_ powerful the mages of this world are. If we are to protect our master, we need to learn as much information for ourselves and keep as much information from others. Otherwise, we may very well be overwhelmed."

Not once did Fate shout in his explanation, but the effectiveness of it was far from diminished. Even Quartum had to admit it, begrudgingly so, but admit it nonetheless. For they were puppets. Beings that drew power from their master, and without a master, they were nothing. True, they would have some magic left, but even that would slowly diminish as time went on.

With a deep glower, Quartum turned his attention to the darkened landscape, settling on simply watching the night in silence. The Averruncus had no need for sleep, after all. For that matter, they had no need to eat. They were far from none-living, being capable of all processes of life, but not one was necessary. So instead, they kept watch in case their master might be attacked in the night as silence reigned.

…

…

…

"Dragon."

The voice of Sextum was soft, and low, yet in the soundless night, it cut through the air like light unto shadows. Four sets of eyes homed in on the girl, standing atop the spire, staring straight up at something in the air. Their sight followed hers and came in contact with the silhouette of what was undoubtedly one of the reptilian fabled –or otherwise, not so fabled– beasts.

"Ah yes… that dragon… I believe this is the same one that we saw this morning, was it not?" Quintum asked, staring up at the flying reptile. "It seems the blue haired girl that was constantly beside that red haired one who insulted mistress Louise is it's summoner."

"No shit. She's riding on the thing," Quartum quipped. "She's looking down at us too. Should we do something about it?"

Fate shook his head. "No. Just leave it be. I doubt she would have heard anything from such a distance, and I sense no magic in the air. There would be no point. Ignore her… for now."

-X-

"Mistress Louise," Fate called out as he tried to shake the girl sleeping girl back into a state of awareness.

The sun had just risen and it was decided that the Averruncus of the Earth would be the one to wake their slumbering mistress, seeing as he had the greatest experience in handling teenage girls… or at least, that's why Quintum agreed to it, if with a lot of hesitation. Quartum didn't honestly care who woke her up, so long as it wasn't him. Although, in hindsight, that was probably a good idea. He had a tendency to be rough. God only knows what would have happened if Louise happened to be a heavy sleeper. Surprisingly enough though, it was actually Sextum that gave the suggestion. Or perhaps, not so much. The Averruncus of water _was_ designed to be the calmest and most reasonable, after all… that is, so long as reasoning had nothing to do with disobeying orders.

Thankfully, the third daughter of the Vallière family was quick to awake, though Fate found it rather amusing that she woke up in much the same way Koyomi –his feline beast-girl ministra magi– did: gracelessly, yet in, as most would say, a cute manner.

"Fuaa~ uhh… huh?… who are you?" the pinkette mumbled, still half asleep as she sat up on her bed and stretched.

"Fate Averruncus, mistress. One of the familiars you summoned yesterday," the grey eyed mage answered, bowing as he did, not taking offence in the least. "And a good morning to you, mistress."

Blinking her half lidded eyes in an effort to get rid of the rest of her sleepiness, Louise lazily scanned the room to orient herself. Directly behind Fate stood Quintum who stared back at her with a bow of his own.

Quartum was off to the side, leaning on a wall with his arms crossed. He took one look at her and turned away, grumbling something unintelligible. As it was, she was still too sleepy to reprimand him, and from the stare Quintum sent his way, it looked like she didn't have to.

Finally, Sextum was… going through her closet?

Frowning, Louise's attention settled on her lone female familiar as she continued to browse her wardrobe. "You, familiar, what do you think you're doing to my clothes?" she questioned, pointing towards the blue eyed girl.

"I was ordered to prepare your clothes," Sextum answered in her monotone drawl, not even bothering to peek out until she managed to get every article needed. Soon enough, all she needed to wear for the day was laid out on her desk, including her undergarments.

Frowning at what she saw as a lack of respect, Louise nonetheless got out of bed and walked towards her clothes. Much like last night, she pulled off her nightgown and threw it aside, not even caring where it landed, before proceeding to don her panties.

Grabbing the rest of her clothes, she turned to where most of her familiars were standing. "Put these on for me."

Silence followed as the three males each gave her a look that would equate to their own version of incredulous at hearing her command.

"You're kidding right?" Quartum asked, his eye twitching. "You actually want us to _help you_ _put your fucking clothes on!_"

"Ahem… with… all due respect, mistress Louise. I believe that such a task is best left to Sextum. Umm… if at all possible, the rest of us will be waiting outside," suggested Quintum, completely ignoring the fire user.

"Indeed. I believe that would be the best of actions." Fate agreed, nodding.

Without even waiting for an affirmative, the third and fifth Averrunci promptly left the room, manhandling their final brother with them and quickly shutting the door.

…

…

…

"Shall I start with the blouse now?"

Pouting at her familiars' actions, Louise answered with a nod, too annoyed with the day already to say anything more.

-X-

It had taken a good five minutes of getting dressed, a (very ineffective) scolding from Louise, and a good round of negotiations with some guy with a long beard that they assumed was probably the headmaster, but the four Averrunci, plus their mistress had at last made it to the to the Alvis dining hall. To say that the place was big would have been a bigger understatement. The room alone was large enough to fit every single student and teacher comfortably, while still leaving enough room for the servants to manoeuvre in so as to serve their employers and charges.

The food was just as grand as the place was huge, with a wide selection of meats, stews, omelettes and pastries along with all sort of other foods one could want for breakfast (though not all were appropriate for the occasion).

Inversely, to say that the Averrunci were impressed would have been a big overstatement. In fact, the only one that seemed at all reactive to the appearance of the massive dining hall was Fate, and that was only because he was curious about the unhealthy food selection. Old habits die hard after all, and having raised five girls into teenhood himself… well, suffice to say, he certainly didn't agree with the whole menu.

Still, their master had only just met them, so giving advice on what to eat when she obviously had a rather low opinion of them would probably be a pointless endeavour. That being said, by the time of the pre-breakfast payer, Louise had already filled her plate with a what the Averrunci assumed was her favourite kind of breakfast pastry, if the eager look on her face was any indication. They, on the other hand, were stuck with two loaves of bread each; one of which they had a sneaking suspicion, might have been petrified by some odd method.

If it weren't for the fact that they didn't actually need to eat, Quartum would have probably gone into another rant by now. As it is, the fire user was settled upon trying to burn Louise's by glaring at her; a feat only stopped by a magical barrier that was thrown up by the other three Averrunci.

Of course, it wasn't until she had finished eating and half way through the exit when she finally noticed their still 'full' plates. With an expression half way between curiosity and annoyance (leaning towards the later), her eyes wandered over from the untouched breakfast, and towards who they were prepared for. "Why haven't any of you eaten yet? It was hard for me to get the headmaster to agree to let you eat here you know," she pouted.

"Oh… is that the case," muttered Fate, looking at her contemplatively… or at least, that's what she thought. His face was a little too stoic to really make sure, but there was definitely some emotion there. "Apologies for the trouble, mistress Louise, but we do not require to eat just yet."

Despite her curiosity, it took only a few seconds before the young noble dismissed the whole thing entirely. If her familiars didn't feel like eating, who was she to stop them? It wasn't something that affected her at all, and it didn't really seem to burden them, so why bother arguing?

"Fine. If that's the case, just leave them there. The servants will pick them up eventually," she dismissed, continuing her walk out of the room, the Averrunci not far behind.

"There aren't any classes set for today. The school has arranged it so that we could have some time to get to know our familiars better," she announced, her eyes on the fast filling courtyard of the Tristain magic academy. "Although, all things considered, I don't really think I-"

Before she could finish, the sound of a very familiar and excited voice cut through the air, calling out her name. Turning to the source, Louise was treated to the sight of the very same bald headed professor that had supervised the springtime summoning ritual.

"Mr. Colbert?" she asked, giving the lightly panting fire mage a curious look.

"Sorry for the interruption, but I'll need to borrow some of your time," her teacher explained, moving towards the quartet behind the pinkette. "If you don't mind, would you let me take a look at the runes on your familiars?" Colbert requested, "I want to see if there is anything like them in the library. Perhaps with an explanation for a human summoning as well."

Giving an unsure nod at the strange request, Colbert promptly went on scanning the runes inscribed upon her familiars' flesh, taking notes and whispering to himself in intrigue as he did so.

"Very strange. I've never seen familiars with runes this intricate. What's more, this is the first time that multiple familiars have been summoned as well. Hmm… very strange indeed," muttered the fire mage, backing away from the four before turning to face their mistress, his observations finished.

"I must say Miss Vallière, your familiars truly are fascinating. I'll tell you of any possible results I may find in the school archives," he concluded as he headed for the library, focusing on his notes so intensely that it was a wonder he didn't run into any of the students that were late for breakfast.

"Could you wait a moment?" Colbert stopped in his tracks, looking over his shoulders to spot the source of the voice. With all eyes turned towards the grey clad familiar, it wasn't hard to decipher just who had spoken.

"Yes, what is it, umm…?"

"Fate Averruncus," Fate provided."If it isn't too much to ask, I'd like to do some research on our familiar runes myself." It was a request just as much meat for the teacher as it was for their mistress, and from the look on her face, it seemed that Louise knew that too.

"Why, exactly, would you need to do that?" asked the pinkette, before her teacher could give a reply. "Mr. Colbert already said that he would tell us about whatever he finds. Why bother?"

His gaze shifting towards his mistress, Fate started to explain. "Mostly, it is because I myself am rather curious about our runes, and what they could mean for us. After all, if they help become better suited to protect you, then it is vital that we know how they work completely. Therein lies the second reason of the possibility that something might be left out of your teacher's report that could later hamper us. Thirdly, I would also like to familiarize myself with the archives of the school, just in case we may need to search for something later."

Left out was the fact that the part of the report that might be missing wasn't necessarily by accident, but they didn't need to know that; although Colbert seemed to be suspicious of such… well, suspicions. Still, his mistress was contemplating it, and that was all that he needed. Fate might have made the request to the balding teacher, but in the end, his objections were inconsequential. It was his mistress that made the final decision.

"Very well." Ah… and his mistress approved. "But I don't want you taking too long. Unless, you find a lead by lunch time, I want you to return. Understood?"

"Of course, mistress," Fate replied, giving a slight bow before facing the balding man. "If you will then, Mr. Colbert.

Wordlessly, the two left, with the flame mage feeling a little uneasy about the situation, but nonetheless glad that he now had some form of help.

"Well well well, what do we have here. The Zero and her band of familiars." And speaking of flame mages, it looked like Colbert wasn't the only one that wanted to bid them a good morning. "Oh my… where's your fourth familiar gone off to? Did he run away?" a voice from behind them teased, causing all four to turn back around to face the exit of the dining hall.

"What do you want Zerbst?" Louise questioned, her distaste of the tanned and endowed redhead's presence all too obvious on her face.

Said redhead responded with a mild smirk aimed at the smaller (in more ways than one) girl. "Why, nothing, my dear Louise. I was merely on my way to the courtyard when I saw you and decided to give a… personal greeting, to your… unique familiars," she replied with an all too innocent tone, picking her words carefully as she approached the mentioned group, adding a subtle seductive sway with each step.

For a moment, Louise was angry at the taller girl's actions, all too aware of her intent, and the likely effects it would have on the two male familiars still with her. However, whatever reaction both students expected, it certainly wasn't the one being displayed by the either two.

Rather than anywhere between ogling her or simply just blushing, Quartum and Quintum just gave the Germanian a blank look, blinking one, then twice, and a third time, before apparently, the more aggressive of the two got tired of waiting.

"Oi, mistress, who's this broad?" Quartum asked, an obvious lack of respect in his voice, even at the title of the summoner.

Between the mixed look of shock and barely restrained anger on her long time tormentors face, and Quartum's continuous disrespect, Louise wasn't really sure who she was angrier at… that is until she remembered all the humiliation she was put through. Not that she had a chance to put those thoughts into words.

"If you must know," the Germanian girl seethed, partly for being put off so easily, and partly for being insulted. "My name is Kirche Augusta Frederica von Anhalt Zerbst," she said, right before turning to face her pink haired student, an annoyed expression on her face that made Louise very happy at the verbal interchange. "Really now Louise, you really should learn to reign in your familiars. A proper familiar should be obedient to their master, isn't that right Flame?"

The question brought all eyes towards the large, lizard like creature that Kirche had gestured to, only now noticing it's presence. The creature hissed in reply, standing beside his master, imitating the sound of the flame on its tail.

Both males present raised a brow at the sight of the vermillion reptile. "What exactly is that thing, some kind of magic, overgrown chameleon or something?" Quartum asked, pointing at the creature who hissed at him in response, small flames coming from its mouth. The Averruncus of fire was, understandably, not intimidated in the least.

"Hmph… I'm guessing that this is the first time you've seen a salamander then," Kirche remarked, gaining some of her lost bravado. "This is my familiar, Flame," she introduced, "a salamander from the Fire Dragon Mountains! A creature that most collectors could only ever dream about obtaining."

…

…

…

"Unimpressive."

The proud redhead face faulted at the emotionless feminine voice; her attempt at getting a rise out of Louise completely stopped by the pinkette's only female familiar. What's more, from the expression on both males' faces, they clearly shared the same sentiment, a fact that caused a frown to appear on Kirche's face.

"*sigh* Well… I suppose commoners such as you would never understand such a thing. I guess I can't really fault you since you obviously don't know the significance of such a feat," she told them, gazing at the blue clad girl with slightly narrowed eyes. She reminded her of her best friend really… well, almost. If possible, Louise's female familiar looked even less emotional than Tabitha.

Speaking of which…

"And of course, even my familiar is nothing compared to Tabitha's" she announced, moving out of the way to gesture towards another girl, this one with silver hair and glasses. She eyed each of them for a few seconds before going back to the book in her hand. "Tabitha over here summoned an even better familiar, a-"

"A dragon," Quintum finished for her, causing all three girls to look at him, confused at how he had such knowledge. "We saw her riding on it above the castle yesterday night, mistress," he answered the unasked question, his own eyes focused upon his summoner. A slow nod was her reply.

"Umm… right," Kirche responded, annoyed once more at being so easily put off. Her plan was simple: make Louise's familiars go googly eyed from her body, impress them with Flame, and then proceed to tease Louise as she always did. This… well, she didn't need this kind of reaction.

"Never mind that then. There's still a lot of daylight to burn and there aren't any classes today, so I think it's about time I started enjoying it," she said excused, starting to walk away from the group. "We'll see you later."

Tabitha only stayed for another scant few seconds, studying Louise's present familiars inquisitively before following her redheaded friend, her head buried back into her book.

Like with Fate and Colbert, silence soon followed after the pair had left. Fortunately with no replacement soon to come.

…

…

…

"Shall we continue to the courtyards?"

It was decidedly very odd to hear the usually quiet Sextum starting to talk before anyone else. Still, that didn't mean she was wrong.

"Right," Louise agreed, "come on. I don't want to have to sit anywhere too sunny, and the other second years are going to try and get all the best seats."

-X-

While he often didn't show it, there were many things that Fate was glad to have come across or experienced after he was first awakened. Coffee, for example, was something he enjoyed very much; so much so that he was willing to fight to defend its superiority to the more orientally preferred tea. Right now, he was becoming very much aware of just how glad he was that he'd also taken time to learn an amalgam of different languages; French, to be precise. He never really bothered to learn to speak the language, but he was capable of reading it fluently.

The fact that they actually used the exact same language here as they did in the country of France was a surprise for him, though that was probably why he felt that the language that the people spoke here was slightly familiar. Still, while it was a surprise, it was by no means an unpleasant one. Any doubts that he might have had about the limitations of the accidental translation placed on him were rendered useless, since he didn't actually need it to do the required research; one that had yielded a very bountiful fruit.

It had taken well over an hour, but the fact that Fate and Colbert could comb through nearly the entire section of the library that was dedicated to familiars was testament of how good they were at research. It also sprung a certain alarm in Fate about his mistress' teacher. The man didn't search through those books with the ease of a researcher or a teacher, searched through them with the signs of the same experience Fate had: that of a man that required information for a mission. Whoever the man was, he certainly didn't go through his entire career as an instructor, that was for sure.

Getting back on track, their combined efforts had eventually led Fate to a rather interesting book about the familiars of a man named Brimir, or 'The Founder' as the people of this world had termed him. It was both amusing and disturbing how similar the first human mage of this world was to the Mage of Beginnings. Still, the focus of their hunt was for the familiar runes that him and the other three Averrunci were marked, and one of those very same runes was depicted clearly in this book, complete with just what its bearer could do.

"_Hmm… Gandalfr, huh? The left hand of God, a master of all weapons. I wonder what abilities the runes of the other familiars of Brimir are capable conferring."_

Sneaking a sideways glance at the professor a few steps to the right revealed the man engrossed in a rather worn out book himself. _"Information like this is often things people would want many others to have little knowledge of. It would probably be best to learn as much as I can. I should have a good ten minutes before he notices anything. More than enough time to go through all the basic information."_

Indeed, he was right. It had taken him roughly thirteen minutes to skim through the information on all four runes of the founder's familiars, and by the end of that Colbert had finally checked up on his progress. "I think I may have just found what we're looking for," the Averruncus lied, before showing him the book. At the top of the page were Gandalfr runes, marked clear in black ink.

-X-

Quartum was angry. That in itself was very usual, being a natural hothead whenever he wasn't having fun… which was pretty much isolated to whenever he was being violent. Now though, he was even angrier than usual.

The reason for this was that the unthinkable actually happened to him: he was beaten by his little 'mistress'. It was by surprise, true, but even so, he was still beaten… and with a single spell to boot. Hell, Quartum wasn't even sure how she did it. All he asked was why people kept calling her the Zero… again and again, but only because she never answered. Next thing he knew, nearly every other student in range was laughing and Louise was pointing a wand at him, shaking in rage. Of course, given Quartum's background, he never really considered her a threat and decided to let his basic magic barriers just block whatever spell she was going to hit him with. Imagine his surprise when he found himself on ground zero of one of the strongest explosions he'd ever felt.

He was left unconscious for a good while after that, he was sure, since, by the time he was up, Louise, Quintum and Sextum were nowhere to be found. That was twice now. Twice, he was beaten by a 'brat'. Worse yet, in both cases, it was impossible for him to get any revenge. Negi was in another world altogether right now, and he probably wouldn't be able to return there any time soon, if at all. Louise was, for all intents and purposes, his mistress. As much as he hated it, she was the only reason he had any power, and taking her out, would only put him in a bad situation. Even without that fact, there was also Quintum, who was as loyal to the girl as he was with the Lifemaker and would fight tooth and nail to protect her. Sextum would probably do so too, and Fate could return at pretty much any time.

All this left Quartum walking around the courtyards, pissed as hell, fists clenched by his sides and scowling like there was no tomorrow. It was a miracle that the immediate area only heated up by three degrees.

"Guiche, what's this rumour I hear about you dating a first year?"

The sound of a voice that indicated another angered person was enough to attract the flame Averruncus' attention, turning to watch a scene unfold between the same blonde haired fop he'd seen the night before, and another blonde, who was most likely his girlfriend, accusing him of cheating. It took barely a second for things to click in his head, but once they did, a positively malicious smirk appeared on his face. _"Hello, stress relief."_

Quickly, he made his way over to their table, passing by various watching students and a nervous maid –the same one he and the others had met just the night before, he noted– on his way.

"I promise you, my dear Montmorency, those are only rumours. _You_ are the only one that has my heart," Guiche answered, striking a gaudy pose as if it would make his lie seem more truthful.

His smirk becoming more vicious at the opening he'd just been given, Quartum decided to strike. "Oh really? Then in that case, who was the girl that you were hanging out with late last night? Your sister? If so, then you're a hell of a lot sicker than just being an unfaithful bastard."

The combination of malicious intent, coarse language and apparent relation to the current conflict drew all eyes towards the red clothed familiar, some with interest and amusement at the new events that were likely to unfold, others curious at what he was talking about, and two in fear, for decidedly different reasons. One of those two, to Quartum's delight, was from Guiche himself, who recognised him instantly.

"Wha-what are you ta-talking about, commoner!" he stuttered, clearly nervous about the angry glare he was receiving from his (one of many) girlfriend. "All I was doing last night was-"

"Having a romantic tryst by moonlight with a younger girl who was apparently not your only one," Quartum cut him off, his smirk growing. "Really. Do they allow polygamy here or something?"

His comment earned a round of laughter among the present students, which only served to increase the humiliation Guiche was suffering. It also had the added effect of causing Montmorency to glare at Guiche even harder than before.

"L-Lies! All lies!" the flamboyant youth cried desperately, before turning to face the girl beside him, getting down on his knees and holding her hands. "Montmorency. My dear, sweet Montmorency. Do not let anything this lowly familiar, summoned by a lowly commoner in noble's clothing sway you with his words. He only lies because of his jealousy that he could not have one such as you."

It was a plea of pure and absolute desperation, but to Guiche's relief, it had done the job of convincing his girlfriend.

That same relief was ignited, thrown out of a window, and fell into a leaking oil truck that just so happened to be next to a van hiding a terrorist with a hydrogen bomb at Quartum's next words.

"A lie huh? If that's the case, then why's that girl staring at you, about to cry, and carrying a soufflé?" he pointed out… literally, pointing passed the two blondes towards the brunette first year. If he couldn't be outright violent, then he'd make others violent towards people that he wanted to get beat up. The situation in front of him now was almost enough to make Quartum go into an uncontrollable laughing fit.

"YOU NO GOOD TWO TIMER!"

The loud sound of Guiche's cheek being slapped was like music to the fir mage's ears, and the follow up of a metal pan smacking the blonde heralded the chorus. No longer able to hold in his amusement, Quartum clutched his stomach in laughter, even as the object of his amusement lay on all fours on the ground with a bright red handprint on his face, and a very noticeable bump atop his head. He was joined soon after by all the other students, and the laughter continued.

From his position on the ground, Guiche seethed. _"A commoner,"_ he thought to himself._ " Humiliated by a mere commoner…"_ Face set deep into a scowl, the blonde's scathing glare found its way to source of his current torment, and his mind jumped to one thing: retribution.

"You!"

The shout was enough to put an immediate end to Quartum's laughter, his gaze meeting the enraged youth with a mocking glare. Guiche had now stood up and was pointing at him with the rose in his hand once more.

"How dare you, a lowly commoner, break the hearts of two beautiful ladies? How dare you, a commoner, humiliate a noble such as myself? I will not stand for this!"

No one was laughing now. Instead, the entire audience gave their rapt attention towards the ensuing drama that was bound to unfold.

"I _will_ make you pay for this, familiar of Zero," Guiche announced. "I challenge you, to a _DUEL!_"

-X-

And the second chapter's done. Hopefully, I'll be able to make a third, but I won't really know until a few hours later. Hopefully, this end of the world theory is just another fail like all the previous ones.

Oh, and if it isn't, can I ask you all something? Some people have said that I should make it so that each of the Averrunci have a different void familiar rune each. More specifically, Fate: Myozthirirn, Quartum: Windalfr, Quintum: Heart of God (don't know the official name) and Sextum: Gandalfr. I can work with this situation too, but I'll let you decide that. You've got until the next chapter for it, so vote vote vote!


	3. Chapter 3

To open this chapter, I'll now announce the results of the last chapters poll. With eight votes against three, it'd been decided that the Averrunci will each have a different rune. For those out there that worry that they might become too over powered, I assure you, you have no need to worry. My plans may have been altered a little, but I have a good idea of where this story should go and when.

Now, since it's pretty obvious that I own nothing, let's move on to the story. Onwards!

**Chapter III: Burning sky. Crushing earth**

"I challenge you, to a _DUEL!_"

Eyes all around Guiche's table widened at the dot mage's announcement, followed by the animated chattering that one could easily come to expect from high school students. Quartum, however, noticed none of this. Like the rest, he too, had been surprised by Guiche's challenge. The small flicker of surprise, however, was quickly replaced a thrilling sensation, as a shark like grin spread across the Averruncus of fire's face.

"A duel huh?" the silver haired fire user muttered, as if testing the idea in his head. "Feh… alright. When and where!" he demanded, a flow of mana running through his hands.

"The Vestri court. We start as soon as you arrive," Guiche answered, a cocky smirk imprinted on his face at the imprudence of Louise's familiar. _"A foolish peasant for a plebeian in noble's clothing fooling herself with the prospect of being able to use magic. Truly, the familiar is a reflection of the mage." _He walked off soon after, his smirk never leaving as a trail of his friends followed along behind him.

"Quartum what were you thinking!" the maid, Siesta, shouted from behind him, causing the flame user to look over his shoulder. Her voice was shrill and her body was trembling, an act that Quartum found simply ridiculous. Who could ever be afraid of someone like that?

"Familiar!" a second voice yelled from behind the maid, prompting the Averruncus of fire to crane his head to find the source. Siesta turned around as well, and both were greeted to the sight of a very irritated Louise, practically stomping towards them, with Quintum and Sextum flanking her sides.

"What do you think you're doing!" she demanded, her tone equally worried as it was angry. The pinkette grabbed Quartum's hand forcefully and began to drag him in the same direction that Guiche had left. "Come on! If we apologize fast enough, then maybe he'll just drop this whole issue."

Upon hearing her order, the flame users eyes widened in undignified surprise, shortly before yanking his arm out of the young mage's grasp. "Apologize!" he shouted indignantly, "like hell I'm apologizing to some moronic pretty boy like that bas-!"

A firm grip on his shoulder, followed by a surge of electricity through his system stopped Quartum's vehement protest cold. Looking over his shoulder once more, the fire mage's eyes locked with his wind using counterpart's stern gaze.

No words were needed to convey what it was that the wind user wanted him to do, and if I weren't for the fact that Fate would have agreed, Quartum probably would have just ignored it. If it was just one of them, he'd stand a chance if they decided to stop him by force. With two, he'd be beaten, and he knew. That wasn't even taking into account how Sextum would respond, but it would likely not be in his favour.

Begrudgingly, Quartum relented, and allowed himself to be led to the appointed duelling ground.

-X-

The whole of Vestri court was nearly filled to the brim by students of various seniority, though most were second years, evident that black capes were the most common among the audience. The only space left free was a large circle in the middle of the field upon which Guiche was standing alone.

Alone, that is, until Louise and her familiars entered the clearing.

"I commend you for not attempting to flee, familiar. But do not think that that is enough to pardon you for your crimes," taunted the earth mage, shooting the small group a condescending smirk.

Before Quartum could even make a response, his mistress had already pushed him back (or at least, tried to), cutting him off. "Stop this right now Guiche! You know duels are forbidden on school grounds!" she ordered, arms crossed while glaring at the boy opposite her.

The earth mage responded to this with a shake of his head, doing the best he could to make it look as disappointed as possible. "That _would_ be true… had both participants been nobles. There is no rule saying that a noble cannot duel a familiar," he pointed out haughtily. "What's more, he made two very lovely ladies cry and had baselessly accused me of numerous atrocious acts. In all truth, he should have been punished there and then, yet I, Guiche de Gramont, was merciful enough to give him a chance to defend himself with this duel."

If Guiche was aiming to pacify Louise with his statement, it definitely fell short. In fact, the pinkette looked even more incensed than ever. "Mercy? Defend himself? Guiche, you know just as much as I do that this was going to be one sided fight!"

"That would hardly be my fault," the blonde replied dismissively, shrugging. "If you truly wish for this not to continue, then get down on your knees and beg for forgiveness!" he ordered, pointing his ever present rose towards the group.

"Go fuck yourself!"

Quartum's response was immediate, causing the two previously conversing mages to jump, along with a majority of the crowd. Guiche recovered quickly enough though, and shot the red clad familiar his best intimidating glare… which had absolutely no effect at all.

Louise had a very similar reaction. "Would you be quiet already! He's already given you a way out! Just take it! Stupid familiar!"

"I'm not kneeling down to-"

"Just do it, Quartum!" Quintum's order cut through the argument like a hot knife through butter. All conversation ended as everyone focused on the white clad male as his glare practically pierced through his hot-headed counterpart. "As much as I hate it, I agree with Fate's decision. Trouble such as this would only besmirch our mistress. If avoiding it means that you must kneel down and beg, then you will do so. Otherwise, I will force you to do so."

Quartum's glare intensified at the wind mage's threat, and a growl escaped his throat. He wanted to protest. This wasn't just a fight any more. The bastard womanizer actually had the gall to _demand_ that he, the Averruncus of fire, beg for forgiveness! It was inexcusable!

"Did your core break or something? You actually expect _me_ to _beg_ that guy for forgiveness!"

Clearly, this was not what Quintum wanted, and it showed; more so to Quartum than to anyone else, as mana began to collect throughout the wind Averruncus' body…

"Oh don't worry. You won't be the only one."

And instantly, the flow magic ended as the two Averrunci, plus their master turned to stare curiously at an arrogantly smirking Guiche. He wasted no time in elaborating his statement.

"The familiar is something that reflects the master. Therefore, all faults of the familiar is the fault of the master," he explained, his smirk growing. A sudden twitch from the hand still on his shoulders was enough to confirm Quartum's own immediate deduction of where this was line was heading for.

"Louise, as their mistress, you must also take responsibility for your familiars' actions. Therefore, you too, must get down on your knees and ask me to forgive you; both for your familiar's insults, as well as your own."

And with that, Louise trembled, torn between her pride and the safety of her familiar. She looked behind her to see both Quartum and Quintum glaring daggers at Guiche. Hell, even Sextum looked as though there was a more threatening glint in her impassive eyes as she stared at the blonde.

The pinkette gulped, then turned back to her classmate. She suppressed all her lessons of keeping her families pride and began crouch down-

"Quartum, I take it back. This thrash has no right to live. I don't think any of us would mind if he were to die. Just make sure you burn him slowly."

The level of contempt in what she recognized as Quintum's voice made Louise pause. Like Fate, Quintum was never one to show much anger when talking. Even when he was clearly annoyed, like the time the three brothers argued when she first summoned them, he had kept his tone under control. Now though…

"Mistress Louise, I apologize," said the white clad Averruncus as he bowed to her, holding out his hand. A little confused, but inwardly glad that she didn't have to stain her family name, Louise grabbed the offered appendage, and Quintum slowly helped her to her feet. "I'm afraid that, as things currently stand, to comply with your request would sully your name even more than any amount of violence we cause here would. As such, I must implore that you allow Quartum to fight."

It took a moment for the request to register in her head, but once it did, Louise couldn't help but look at her spiky haired familiar in disbelief. "Quintum, you can't be serious? You can't just let Quartum fight! Guiche is a _noble_! This match is too one-sided for him to win!" she exclaimed, only to be further baffled by the diabolical smirk that spread on the boy's face.

"Precisely," was his only answer.

"Enough talk already! Let's get this over with!" Quartum demanded. He too, had a wide smirk on his face.

Louise's gaze flew from one of her familiars over to the next, and then back again, trying to determine what was it that caused Quartum's obvious insanity to be transferred to his usually calm brother, even as she was led aside by Quintum.

Finally, it was just the two combatants left in the impromptu battle field.

-X-

Meanwhile…

The double doors that led to the headmaster, Old Osmond's office burst open as Colbert rushed in, calling out the square mage's name as Fate walked sedately behind him. Both were rather awkwardly surprised at the sight that welcomed them: an old man in a brown robe, –the headmaster, Fate deduced– lying front down on the floor as a green haired young woman stomped on his back.

Colbert stopped almost immediately upon laying eyes on what was quite possibly the oddest sight he'd seen since his teaching career. "Miss Longueville… what are you doing… exactly?"

"Ah!" the woman, –Miss Longueville, apparently– looked up in surprise, eyes wide, before her expression turned into a deep smile. "I'm simply giving the headmaster's back a massage," she replied, continuing to grind her shoes onto the clearly suffering man's back.

Despite himself, Fate couldn't help but sweatdrop at the sight.

"Uhh… right," Colbert muttered, apparently also lacking a proper reaction for the situation. He cleared his throat. "About why I'm here…"

"Yes, yes," Osmond cut in, finally getting up. He returned back to his chair before facing the pair with a speculative glance. More so towards Fate than the teacher. "So, what is it you came to report professor… uhh… who are you again?"

The bald fire mage face faulted at the question, and Fate was almost certain that he had the urge to follow suit. The reaction was short-lived though, as Colbert got back up to his feet, re-introduced himself, and then proceeded to get down to business.

"Sir, I'd recently become interested in the different runes that were grafted upon the familiars summoned by one Louise Vallière yesterday," he started, producing a familiar tome from his robes and placing it on the table. "One of her familiars, Mr. Fate Averruncus-" he pointed behind him towards the silver haired boy, "and myself searched for any possible references in the library that would tell us their meaning. This, is what we found."

He opened the book then, showing the old man four different marked pages, and with each one, Osmond's eyes widened even further. His gaze flew from the book, to his employee, and then towards the lone familiar, before going back to the book.

"Are you two sure about this?" he asked, his voice trembling.

"The runes are perfect match. Each and every single one." It was Fate who answered this time, gaining the headmaster's full attention.

For a moment, there was nothing but tension filled silence, and then, Old Osmond turned towards his secretary. "Miss Longueville, would you be so kind as to give us some privacy for a moment?"

"Of course, headmaster," the young woman replied, giving a curt bow before exiting the room.

All of the old mages attention returned back to the man before him. "Mr. Colbert, you know what this could possibly mean, yes?"

The balding man's enthusiastic nod was all the answer he needed. "Of course sir! The fact that Louise Vallière was not only able to summon four different familiars, but that each would also have the four familiar runes associated with the Founder! She must be a void mage. Any other conclusion is impossible."

Osmond nodded gravely. "We must not let this reach outside ears, Mr. Colbert. Louise could very well be put into great danger if such information were to get out." His tone left no room for arguments, a sentiment that the teacher clearly caught on to, as his visage became completely serious, giving a nod of his own.

Both men then turned towards the last person in the room, and he stared back at them. "Mr. Averruncus. If possible, could you keep all this under wraps? You can tell your siblings, and your summoner, but it would be best if none of this were to get out."

Fate's only response was a nod, which was then returned by the principal.

Then it happened. A familiar surge of mana in the air was Fate's first warning. The second, came in the form of Osmond's secretary barging into the room.

"Sir! A student, Guiche de Gramont has challenged one of the familiars that Louise Vallière had summoned!"

Before anyone else could react, Fate had already cleared the door.

-X-

"So, you choose to fight, do you?" Guiche sneered before waving the rose in his hand. A single petal detached from the flower and slowly floated to the ground. A green-grey metal rose from the ground, shaped into a distinctively feminine appearance, with most of its body shaped to resemble armour.

"My name is Guiche de Gramont! Runic name: Guiche the Bronze! As such, your opponent shall be the bronze valkyrie!" he announce proudly, smiling as though he'd already won. Quartum was far less amused and just stared at the piece of magical metal work. It looked good, he had to admit, but was it any good for a fight?

Figuring he'd find out once it attacked, the flame user just decided. He didn't even have to wait long for the metallic construct to attack. The golem rushed him pretty much as soon as it's summoner stopped talking, approaching him at a speed that should have otherwise been impossible for something made completely of bronze, but for someone like Quartum, who was created for combat against the likes of Ala Rubra, it may as well have been moving in slow motion.

It shot out a punch aimed at his head, intended to knock him out one strike. The Averruncus of fire merely raised his hand at the last moment, stopping the bronze fist dead in its tracks, just inches away from his nose.

A single brow raised on Quartum's features as he craned his neck over the golem so that he could look at his stunned opponent; a feeling that nearly every other person audience was currently experiencing, apparently. "That's it?" he asked incredulously. "_This_ is the best you can do? This is pathetic!"

The loud insult seemed enough to break Guiche out of his stupor, –along with most of the crowd– eliciting a growl from the blonde. "You were just lucky, familiar!" he shouted in response, waving his wand in what Quartum assumed was a command to his creation.

Sure enough, the golem's other hand shot up as well, this time aimed at his chest. This too, however, was stopped almost immediately before it hit its mark as the red clad Averruncus smirked. "If this is the best you people can do, then I don't think Fate'd mind if I broke this stupid masquerade he made," he said, earning confused looks all around.

Almost immediately, all of their stares turned into that of wide-eyed shock as Guiche's golem began to glow as smoke rose from it, starting from where Quartum held the construct and spreading fast. "Since you so kindly introduced yourself, allow me to do the same," the flame user announced. The bronze construct he held now beginning to melt.

Releasing his grip, the red-clad familiar kicked the semi-molten golem towards its creator, who barely managed to duck. When Guiche looked back up, he was treated to the sight of Quartum with a malicious, predatory grin on his face, looking down at him with a level certainty in his victory that Guiche had never before witnessed.

"Visju Tal Li Sjutal Vangèit!"

The third son of the general de Gramont wasn't sure what those words meant, but it filled him with fear nonetheless. The words were no spell, for in truth, they were not words that he, nor anyone else in the academy recognized. Yet even then, something screamed inside of him that he would die if he didn't do anything soon.

In his panic, Guiche waved his wand once more, this time letting drop all the remaining petals, creating a total of eight golems to defend him. They charged, just as his opponent started chanting, too late to accomplish anything.

"Novem Clostellum, Laxo. Ab Lægjarn Acerva, Agite! Gladius Divinus Flammae Arden!"(1)

Without warning save for a burst of power, a gigantic sword of solid flames, four times as tall as Quartum himself, –not counting the hilt, which was also as long as he was tall– appeared in the Averruncus's hand. The students of the academy, and whoever among the faculty and staff that stood witness to it all felt their jaws drop at the sight.

Not even the strongest of square class fire mages could truly solidify fire. It was like trying to tame the shadows themselves, impossible, even amongst elves. Yet, despite that, none could claim that he blade in Quartum's hand was fake. The sheer heat it radiated ensured that.

"For future reference," The flame mage's sudden statement turned all eyes to him. The sight of him gripping a small section of the handle with his comparatively tiny hands would have looked amusing if it weren't so imposing as well. "My name is Quartum! The fourth Averruncus, and the Averruncus of fire!"

Then he swung the giant blade in a horizontal cut, frightening those in the circle nearest to his sword arm the sword neared them; all but Louise, who continued to stare in awe, and her two other present familiars, who looked on impassively. The attack cut right through the mass of golems, slicing all of them from what would have been their abdomen, the searing heat of the colossal weapon not helping them in the least, leaving nothing but piles of half-molten metal on the grassy court.

Smirking at the results of his work, Quartum let his gaze flow towards his challenger who was now openly shaking in fear. Guiche had stumble back onto his butt, it seemed, during the whole demonstration, visibly shaking as he tried to back away, leaving a very telling trail of liquid in his wake.

"Trying to escape huh?" Quartum muttered under his breath, his smirk turning into a manic and sadistic grin. "That just won't do!" he shouted, extending his hand in his opponent's direction. "Evocatio Spiritualis: De Tredecim Salamandris Lanciferis!"

Another wave of magic, this time formed from numerous waves melding into one followed the Averruncus of fire's second spell. Thirteen wisps of flame, looking very much like group of armed humanoid salamanders ignited from behind their summoner's retreating opponent, blocking his escape path.

Guiche nearly fainted there and then, upon laying eyes on the fire constructs, only kept awake by his self preservation. "Heh… you really are a coward aren't you?" the blonde's opponent taunted, prompting the dot mage to shakily turn back towards his opponent.

The fact that the tip of the sword that Louise's familiar had employed earlier was currently floating far above where it used to be was his only hint to look higher up.

The moment his eyes locked onto the fire spirit –for no other being could command flames in such a manner– was the moment that Quartum decided to end the one-sided slaughter.

"Here's a little something I got from a memory," said the familiar, raising his titanic sword so that the tip pointed straight into Guiche's trapped body. "Warship Breaker!" he shouted, throwing his sword like a burning javelin from heaven above.

Loud gasps were heard from the crowd as all the spectators realized just how this 'duel' was going to end, looking fearfully at the sight. Guiche, in his terror, closed his eyes and awaited the end.

"Ho Monolithos Kion Tou Haidou!"

It never came. Instead, tremor after tremor shook the earth as air and dust were displaced. The sound of numerous large objects landing on the ground right I front of him filled the air, followed by that of metal breaking through stone.

More gasps filled the air, prompting the blonde to open his eyes. The sight before him made gape. What protected him from the colossal blade of flame was a barricade of humungous grey, stone pillars that had planted themselves into the earth.

"I warned you not do such foolish things, Quartum," a voice, sounded from behind Quartum, an underlying threat in its calm tone. It was almost whisper like, yet the stunned silence in the field allowed it to be heard by all.

The Averruncus of fire barely had a chance to look over his shoulder before a powerful punch struck him from behind, sending him straight towards the giant stone barricade, crashing right through the first layer.

If at all possible, the students were more shocked now than ever. Not only had they seen someone, –and not just _any_ someone at that, but one of 'The Zero' Louise's familiars– use a fire spell that was obviously above square class level, they also bore witness to _another_ person –another one of Louise's familiars, no less– stop with a blockade of stone pillars from out of the _air._ Then, following that, he appeared behind his own brother and punched him. _punched him_! An attack that no true noble would ever lower themselves to in duel.

For the umpteenth time that day, everyone gasped, all of them paying rapt attention to what had just occurred. Even Tabitha was waiting in anticipation, having dropped her reading material sometime during Guiche's beat down. None of them could believe what they'd just seen. All of them were sure that Quartum had already died, but like a morbid accident, they couldn't help but stare… and then the buzzing began.

Like out of a dusty hive, giant fiery wasps shot out from the rock pillars, numbering by the thousands and zooming in fast towards Fate, his eyes narrowing at the attempted attack. "Senjin Kokuyouken!" he commanded, calling forth an array of black and grey blades. With a mental order, the blades flew, striking wasp after wasp amidst the explosion caused by their collision.

The aerial battlefield was shrouded completely in smoke once it was all over, with both the visible combatant and the whole audience watching in anticipation for what was to come next. The students and staff of the academy had, by now, given up on trying to make sense of anything in the ensuing conflict, deciding instead to jut watch and be entertained by the awe inspiring battle. Even Guiche, who had retreated to the sidelines was just watching and waiting.

They didn't have to wait long either as javelins of fire blasted out of the smoke, searing the air as they flew at speeds that rendered them to appear as nothing but blades for a majority of the spectators.

Fate was another story. With eyes like a hawk, he –to the utter bafflement of the audience– batted each spear aside with his bare hands, knocking them all away with the barest of effort, not even feeling the sensation of heat they emitted as he let power flow into his upper limbs.

His arms swung in numerous angles, so fast that it almost looked like he'd grown five extra pairs. A gout of fire followed the last spear, blanketing Quartum's form behind it just as he'd come in to view.

Not missing a beat, Fate extended his hand as he focused his magic, creating a large ball of light. "Doru Petras!" at his command, the orb burst, blasting out a large stone spear that pierced right through the flames; the air it displaced creating a large gap in the middle through which the oldest Averruncus shot flew through.

But Quartum was ready for him, already swinging another gigantic sword in a vertical cut, only so many inches away from him. Only Fate's vast experience saved him from being severed at that moment, forming a stone sword in his right hand and supporting with his left to defend against the mightier weapon. It was crude, yet effective, but despite his superior physical power, the momentum of the sword of conflagration was enough to drive him downwards.

Flipping in mid air the grey clad familiar landed feet first, glaring up towards his opponent who was, even now, channelling his mana for a next attack. The wide smirk on Quartum's face told Fate all he needed to know about just which spell his hot-headed counterpart was planning on using, and he retaliated in kind by preparing his own.

"**Visju Tal Li Sjutal Vangèit!" **they shouted at once, earning some confusion from the crowd. A small part of the audience, Fate noted, had started talking now. He didn't know when they started, but they were endless now; most of them wondering if he –a square class earth mage, as they apparently identified him– was going to attempt to create his own sword of fire that Quartum was making.

Whether it was his battle mania, or simply because some part of him thought it funny, even he himself didn't know, but he smirked at the prospect of being able to show them just how different they were to all of them. Surely, that would make anyone think twice about harming their mistress, which was probably the only good thing that could come out of this situation.

"**To Sumbolaion Diakonētō Moi!"**

The magic energy in the air grew thick quickly as they chorused another part of their chant, alerting all to the impending danger that was to come.

"**O Turanne Phlogos!/ O Basileu Haidou!"**

The first part of the spell, the calling of the contract was done, and now their mana grew even more dangerous. Tremors formed on the soil and the temperature heated up. The audience were being disorientated as the ground below them shook, many of them falling over, their eyes filled with fear at being caught up in a clash that could probably end with most of them dead. And then…

"Argh!"

All eyes turned towards the source of the agonized scream. Louise was on the ground, clutching at her chest. She was panting heavily, and sweating from head to toe. Her face had turned pale and her body was shaking.

All the students backed away from the girl, their usual jeers absent as they looked on in worry and shock. The two familiars by her side both crouched down to check on her, with Fate and even Quartum –both of whom had already forgotten their fight, apparently– not far behind.

Those among the students who were water mages were among the first to get over their surprise at Louise sudden pain, those closer to her position moving over to check on the girl.

"Step aside!" the shout of a familiar voice rang from beyond the crowd. The students parted way quickly, making a small path from the building towards the downed Vallière.

The Averrunci looked up as Colbert, Old Osmond and miss Longueville rushed towards their mistress; the bald teacher crouching down himself to check over the girl as soon as he was close enough.

The four around her let the older man through as he got to his spell work. It was unfamiliar to them, but from the circumstances, they all came to the conclusion that it was diagnostic in nature.

"There's nothing physically wrong with her. However, her willpower's been depleted to an extremely low level," the balding man reported, eliciting a surprised and curious expression from his superior.

"Willpower depletion?" he asked sceptically, "how can that be? She hasn't used any spells at all. Moreover, this sort of reaction is far too violent just for a depletion of willpower."

Unknown to everyone else, Fate's eyes had widened at the bearded mage's comment, the implications of his statement, combined with the memories he'd garnered from the Premium Averruncus bringing him onto a single conclusion.

Inwardly, he cursed at himself for not thinking up such a possibility as his eyes wandered towards his weakened summoner. Louise had collapsed half way through the inspection, but she was still breathing heavily.

He let his attention turn back towards Colbert and Osmond. "She'll be fine. The mistress simply needs rest. We will take her back to her room," Fate announced, carrying the Louise's unconscious body. "The strain that was put on her today was too much for her. However, the damage done shouldn't be too extensive. After a day's rest, mistress Louise should be back on her feet again."

He started walking after that, the other three Averrunci following quickly. This time, though, they were just as confused as everyone else.

"Do you know what's wrong with her, Tertium?" the wind Averruncus demanded, all while keeping his tone completely even.

Unlike most other times, Fate didn't even bother taking notice of Quintum using his original name, his mind too preoccupied with worry for his mistress for it to register the small detail. "Yes," he answered grimly, before speeding up his pace, not even bothering to give a proper explanation as the eyes of both students, faculty and staff trailed after them, wondering what to do, but kept from helping by fear of a possible bad reaction.

-X-

And that's it for this chapter. A little shorter than I was planning but good enough. I feel that it's a little shabby though, but I can't seem to think of a better way to do this, so if any of you have any suggestions, you're more than free to give them.

Can anybody try and guess what happened to Louise in this chapter?

(1)- I'm pretty sure a lot of Negima fans recognize this spell, even if it was just used once. However, since the scans I read only had the English words, I had to make up my own Latin translation. I think I got it about right. There's a list of spells, complete with incantations on the Negima wiki for this if you want it.

A final question I'd like to ask all my fellow anime fans out there. It may not have anything to do with this story, but it does make me rather curious. Tell me, what do you think would happen if Louise ended up summoning Lina Inverse as her familiar?


	4. Chapter 4

As of the recent Negima chapters, this story is now an AU on both sides. To clarify, rather than every other member of Kosmo Entelecheia being revived, only the Lifemaker himself had returned, with Fate ending up dying when he was hit by the Lifemaker's attack.

Naturally, the Lifemaker died after that, however, as to how that happened, you'll all have to use your own imaginations. The only thing that I can say is that the Lifemaker died, and the Averrunci got stuck in Limbo. As for why the Premium and Secundum Averrunci aren't here… well, just tell yourself that a wizard did it.

I own nothing that concerns Negima, nor Zero no Tsukaima.

**Chapter IV: Truth of the Averruncus**

When Louise opened her eyes again, she found herself back on her bed with a throbbing headache. _"Was that… all just a dream"_ she asked herself as she sat up, feeling a strange mix of reassurance and disappointment. "Of course it was," she told herself, her tone unsure, "my familiars are commoners. There's no way they could have used magic."

"On the contrary, while I can't say anything about the commoner comment, I _can_ most assuredly say that we are capable of using magic."

The unexpected statement from beside her would have made Louise jump out of her bed had it not been so monotone; instead, it just made her sit up straight and whip her head towards the source. The pinkette wasn't sure how he did it, but somehow, Fate had managed to sit himself on the windowsill right beside her bed without her noticing him when she first awoke.

"It's good to see that you're finally awake, mistress." Though the statement lacked any obvious emotional quality, the youngest Vallière couldn't help but sense a touch of relief in his voice. It would have been something she appreciated most of the time… unlike now, when she was quite

"H… How on earth did you get there?" she demanded, pointing at him accusingly.

"I was here the entire time," he answered truthfully, causing his mistress to blink, having lost all her bravado.

For a while, she just stared at him, looking at Fate as though he were insane. Then his first statement finally registered in her head. Louise lowered her still outstretched hand, keeping her eyes on her familiar with a mix of interest and disbelief.

"You said you could use magic?" she asked.

"Yes."

"And you never told me… why?" Louise followed up in as threatening a tone as she could manage. Fate though, wasn't bothered by it in the least.

"I apologize for that, mistress. It was to my belief that if none were to know that we could use magic, then we would have the element of surprise in our hands should we be required to defend you," he explained truthfully.

A bout of silence followed after as Louise kept her eyes on her grey eyed familiar, staring back at her with an impassive gaze. It was awkward, as far as the pinkette was concerned, but nearly anything else she could think about had something to do with their magic. _Theirs_. The thought that her own familiars could use more magic than her was humiliating enough, to actually talk about it…

"Where are the others?"

A short topic, but distracting nonetheless, Louise decided. If she was really lucky, something of interest would come up and they could move onto something else. Anything to get her mind out of depressing territories.

"As of the last time I had checked, Sextum is standing guard in front of the door," Fate reported, a slight movement of his eyes gesturing towards the aforementioned entrance, his little master turning her head towards it as he did so. "There have been more than a few students that were curious to see you, likely so that you could have us discuss the… spectacle we had caused yesterday afternoon. Thus far, only members of the staff and faculty that have had a hand in helping you recover have been allowed to enter."

The pinkette winced just the slightest bit at the reminder of the events from the previous day. How she was both envious and at awe with the feats that her familiars had showed. _"So much for a safe topic."_ "What about Quartum and Quintum?"

"Both the headmaster and the teacher in charge of the summoning ritual two days prior were adamant to learn about the exact happenings of the duel yesterday, including our magic, and what we know of your… sudden collapse." He trailed off there, his stone grey eyes looking away for but a moment in what Louise assumed as guilt. "Quintum is currently ensuring that they do not bother at all, and had explained earlier that they will only be told once you awaken and if you allow them to be privy to the information."

"As for Quartum…" Fate continued, only to be cut off by a loud and drawn out shout of 'DAAARLING!' coming all the way from the ground floor. "It would seem that Miss Zerbst has taken a liking to him," he finished, chuckling in amusement as his eyes trailed down below.

Her interest piqued, Louise shuffled over to the bedside window where her grey clad familiar sat upon. Peeking her head out, she looked down towards the field below her dorm tower. Sure enough, another one of her familiars was there, running for his… well she wasn't quite sure why he was running, but since it was Kirche chasing him she really didn't give a damn as long as Quartum didn't give the busty redhead what she wanted.

"GET AWAY FROM ME YOU PSYCHOTIC BITCH!" the aforementioned fire user ordered, sprinting as fast as he could without the aid of magic. It seemed mostly forgotten by his pursuer, but many of the spectators were wondering the same thing.

"Why isn't he just flying? Like yesterday?" Louise inquired, her eyes darting towards the grey clad mage. "In fact, why didn't he just fry her?" The question was uncouth, cruel, and unbefitting of a noble of her status but damn it if wasn't a pleasant idea.

If Fate's chuckle was any indication, he thought so as well. "As much as he'd want that, I'm afraid for us to use magic at this point could very well be dangerous for you. As such, Quintum and I had ensured that he is not to use any magic unless given permission."

Left unsaid was the fact that 'ensuring' basically meant 'threatening to kill him' but his young mistress didn't need to know that.

"What do you mean by that?" the pink haired girl inquired curiously, now tuning to face the grey eyed earth mage. "How could him using magic possibly hurt me?"

For a while, Fate just looked at her, his expression nearly completely impassive as he watched her as though examining something. Then the smallest of smiles appeared on his face. "If you wish to know, mistress, then I think it would be better that you get off my leg so that I may tell you properly outside."

At first, Louise's only reaction was to raise a brow at him in confusion. Then she looked down at herself, only to find that she'd been lying front down onto the Averruncus's thighs, clutching the leg he kept outside the window to herself so that she wouldn't fall.

With wide eyes and an indignant yelp, the pinkette threw herself backwards, only to wind up at the edge of her bed. Flailing her arms about in a losing effort to regain her balance before hurting her head, Louise suddenly found thankful that her familiar was right in front of her when he managed to grab her arm and pull her back into a seated position.

She definitely could have done without that amused smirk on his face, small as it may have been. Much to her annoyance, it only grew when she made her irritation obvious. In hindsight, pouting like she did then probably wasn't a smart idea. He was certainly the closest to being normal, as far as her familiars' personalities went, so of course he'd react like that.

With a resounding huff, Louise turned around, swinging her legs off the bed before walking to her dresser. She only noticed now, but the clothes she was wearing certainly weren't the same set she wore when she fainted… or at least she hoped not, seeing as she was in her negligees. It wouldn't exactly do to go out now while only wearing them either.

Dismissing the embarrassing possibility from her mind, the youngest Vallière picked out a set of her school uniform before peeking out behind the cabinet doors towards her lone familiar. "Do you mind leaving?" she asked irritably, more as an order than anything else.

Much to the pink haired girls ire, her complete change of behaviour from the previous day seemed to amuse her familiar, made evident by small smile of amusement that graced his features, but he nodded nonetheless. "I'll go to collect Quartum and Quintum so that we may discuss this over breakfast," he answered, swinging his other leg outside, even as his gaze remained on her over his shoulders. "Also, if you've been spared the morning classes to give us time to explain to you, and if you allowed it, the headmaster, about our magic. I highly suggest you decide now whether to let them learn about what we will tell you or not, so as to spare everyone the need to repeat anything."

His piece said, the grey clad Averruncus pushed off of the stone ledge in what would normally bring alarm to those that witnessed it. Louise on the other hand just looked annoyed at what she had just been saddled with. Sighing, she proceeded to go through with the morning ritual of changing into her uniform.

-X-

Louise felt nervous as she took her seat in front of the lone table on the academy courtyard. The reason, seated directly in front of her, was headmaster Osmond, flanked by his assistant, miss Longueville to the left, and professor Colbert to his right. It wasn't so much their presence that caused her discomfort, it was the way they were looking at her: a scrutinizing gaze that, despite their best attempts to hide it, still shone in their eyes. The only other time she'd seen eyes like those were on her mother, and only when she did something wrong but wouldn't admit it.

They wanted answers, and they wanted them _now_.

"Mistress, have you decided?"

Inwardly, the pink haired girl thanked Fate for breaking the silence. It was an awkward moment, and Louise wasn't really sure she could have said anything in that situation with all those eyes on her.

"Yes," the pink haired mage confirmed with a nod. "I think it would be best to start now." The pointed looks sent by her familiars to the three faculty members, and the curious looks sent by them to her made her swallow nervously. "And I'm fine if they hear about it as well," she quickly amended, gesturing towards the three partially satisfied adults.

"What about the maid?" Quartum piped up, leaning back casually into his own seat, two places to her left, his hands intertwined behind his head as he set his feet on the table. If it weren't for the current complications concerning her familiars, Louise would have reprimanded him –rather harshly, at that– for his lack of manners. Instead, all she did was scowl at him before letting her eyes wander over to where her golden eyed familiar was staring at.

Sure enough, there was a maid standing in between Fate and Sextum's seats; a large food cart directly behind her. If memory served her right, she was the same maid that was standing near Quartum and Guiche when the latter made his challenge. There weren't many people with black hair, after all, so it was fairly easy to notice.

Of course, as much as that was true, it still begged the question…

"Why is she here again?" the pinkette asked the table in general, a little confused about the older girl's presence.

"I asked her help set everything up, mistress," Fate answered. "As discussing the current topic when around possible eavesdroppers was dangerous, I had acquired help from the staff in order help set everything up. Since out of all of them, Siesta is the one most familiar with us, she will be the easiest to reason with should we need her to leave, or to keep secret what you all are about to hear should you allow her to stay."

"A rather presumptuous decision, in my opinion," Quintum cut in, his back straight, and arms crossed in front of his chest, sending the grey clad Averruncus a barely noticeable glare. "How are you certain that she can be trusted with such information?"

For a moment, there was silence as the two locked eyes, both facing each other with the same controlled scowl on their features. "I cannot," he said simply, shaking his head. "That is for the mistress to decide."

A slight twitch downwards on Quintum's lips was enough to tell all those who noticed just who had won the exchange, which was pretty much everyone there, barring Louise and Siesta; though even for them it was easy to figure out.

Too eager for her familiars to finally start explaining themselves, it only took Louise a moment to make her decision. "Fine, let her stay. Just get on with it already," snapped the pinkette, making her impatience clear.

Fate allowed a silent laugh to escape his lips at the childish display. "As you wish, mistress," he said, giving a single gesture towards the maid; apparently a signal for her to set their breakfast onto the table. "To begin with, do you remember what it is I told you about us on the day that you summoned us, mistress?"

Louise quirked a brow at the question at first, before a thoughtful expression found its way on to her face. The three faculty members leaned in slightly, waiting for her to answer, even as they began to eat.

"You… said that the four of you were from another world," answered the pinkette, unsure of her answer.

Thankfully, the grey eyed Averruncus responded with a pleased nod. "Precisely," he said, bringing his own drink to his lips to take a sip. He grimaced slightly, a moment later, before muttering something about 'coffee' –whatever that was– under his breath. "Now, concerning your first question of _how_ exactly we are capable of using magic, it is simply because our world, much like your own, is populated by people capable of using magic."

It was a simple enough explanation, were it not for the fact that it included the existence of another world. Still, considering just how alien their magic seemed to the native humans, they were willing to believe it.

"So… you are nobles then?" asked the headmaster's assistant. It was a fairly logical conclusion. After all, if there were mages, then surely all of them would be nobles… "_or at least have noble blood"_ she bitterly added in her head.

Much to her and everyone else's surprise, all four of the familiars shook their heads. "Nope, sorry," Quartum, the only one to do so verbally, answered. "Unlike this place, nearly _everyone_ in Mundus Magicus can use magic. Rags or royalty, the only thing that matters is if you can learn how to use it, but all in all, nearly everyone has the potential to be a mage."

No words were spoken after that as the five Helkeginians present openly gaped at the fire user's statement. A world where even peasants could use magic… it was a concept that they, who had been living in a culture where magic was the symbol of nobility for _six thousand years_, simply couldn't wrap their minds around.

"**WHAT!"**

At once, they all shouted, banging their hands onto the table. Even Siesta had ended up unwittingly joining in as they stared incredulously at the red clad boy.

"That's… that's preposterous!"

"How is that possible?"

"You're joking right!"

"Are you… are you telling me that people like me can use magic in your world too?"

"You can't be serious!"

All five natives spoke at once in a way that would have had most people reeling, trying to keep up with all that was said. Fortunately, the Averrunci were anything but normal people.

"I assure you, we are very much serious, mistress."

Quintum's word's cut through the shouts like a hot knife through butter, leaving the group relatively calmer than they were just a few moments ago. Despite speaking in a low, levelled voice, his words were heard clear as they by all of them, skill that the previous Averruncus of the wind had made use of quite a few times… that is to say, the rare times when he _couldn't_ afford to be batshit crazy.

"While there are, in fact, many people who do not use magic where we come from, their reason is more often because they are completely unaware of the existence of magic. Not because they _can't_ use magic," he explained, probably in an attempt ease their mistress's mind. It worked, fortunately, but it also opened up another line of questioning.

"Why would some people _not_ know about magic?" Colbert inquired as he leaned closer towards the table, now completely immersed in learning about the familiars' foreign world. Headmaster Osmond and his assistant did the same. Of to the side Siesta too, had joined in to listen in on their tale, not even trying look as though she was still waiting attentively to cater them as she stood between Fate and Quartum.

"Both of those points are actually pretty simple," commented Fate, causing all eyes to turn towards him with all the curiosity and (in the case of their mistress) anger they could muster. With an impassive air about him, he took a final sip of his tea before setting it down onto the table. "I'm fairly certain that you've all grasped that our world is very different from yours. The fact of the matter is, we are only talking about the world on which we were created: Mundus Magicus. However, there is _another_ world where we come from, one which is linked directly to Mundus Magicus: Mundus Vetus, or 'The Old World'."

That seemed to give the entire table pause as thy digested the new information. Louise's head was completely jumbled up by that point. Just when she thought that her familiars couldn't do or say anything more that could possibly be crazier than what was already said and done, they prove her wrong, one after the other. The faculty and staff members weren't all that far behind either, but at least they found it easier to recover… well, at least the headmaster did.

"The… Old World?" the bearded mage parroted wistfully, as if checking his memory for any recollection of ever hearing the phrase.

Fate nodded in confirmation. "Mundus Vetus, unlike the Mundus Magicus, is a world where magic is, as far as most people are concerned, nothing more than cheap tricks done for show." He quickly held up a hand, cutting off the impeding questions and infuriated comments. "For the most part, this _is_ true in that _real_ magic, for most of its inhabitants is nothing but a hint. In fact, it is actually a law among mages to _ensure_ that the mundane population of the Old World remains ignorant of the existence of actual magic."

"Keep magic a secret?" Louise asked incredulously, almost unable to believe her ears. When Fate nodded in confirmation, all she could do was burst. "What reason could you possibly have to keep magic a secret!" shouted the pinkette, unknowingly asking the same question everyone but her familiars' minds.

For a moment, Fate simply looked his mistress in the eyes; her smouldering pink orbs demanding him for an answer that would make sense of their most recent revelation. Hopefully, what he did have was enough to curb her temper.

"Fear." It was a simple yet confusing answer, and Fate knew it all too well. Very few who already knew of magic could conceive how others could possibly come to fear something that they themselves found part of the norm. The headmaster, his assistant, and Colbert seemed to grasp the idea rather easily; a testament to their age and experience, but the confused looks from his mistress and the nearby maid was enough to prompt the earth mage to explain.

"It is a part of humanity's nature to fear that which they do not understand. For a world that had so little knowledge of magic, to simply accept it is a difficult feat," the grey eyed boy clarified, and was pleased to see the two easing up on the topic… if only slightly. "If the knowledge were to be released to the wrong people at the wrong time, then it could possibly lead to disastrous events. How or why is impossible to guess, due to the large number of possibilities, but case in point, revealing the existence of magic so freely can only lead to disasters."

Louse gave pause at her familiar's explanation. When it was put like that, then their actions did make sense. How a world could function without magic, she couldn't quite understand, but if introducing magic to it would end up causing disasters, then even she had to admit that it was for the best.

"Well, you certainly don't need to worry about such a thing here," Osmond assured them, absentmindedly rubbing at his beard. "In fact, I was actually hoping that the four of you would give us a demonstration of your magic. We never did get to see anything more than that giant sword of fire you conjured up," he continued, gesturing towards Quartum near the end.

Half of the table's occupants lit up with interest at the prospect, with five pairs of eyes all turning towards the quartet. Unfortunately for them, the most two responsive (and normally none violent) of the group both shook their heads.

"Sorry to say, mistress, but I'm afraid that we may very well endanger you if we use too many spells now," Quintum apologized almost hesitantly. When all he received in return were confused stares, the Averruncus of the wind decided to elaborate. "I am certain that you recall your… fainting episode yesterday, yes?" the answer was met with uncertain nods. "Well, as it turns out, that was entirely our fault."

Again, he was met with clearly confused stares from the five natives, drawing out a sound as though he was sighing and grumbling at once. It was at this point that Fate decided to cut in. "What Quintum is trying to say is that, whenever we," he gestured towards his fellow familiars, "use our magic, we do not use our mana, or 'willpower' as you people call, to use our spells. We draw from yours," he ended, now pointing towards Louise.

Evidently though, his input was not as effective as he had hoped, considering that they only stared at him even more puzzled than they did before. Still he held his patience. "You see mistress, the four us… aren't exactly normal humans, per se. I can't actually give a full explanation of _what _we are, so don't even bother asking. The main point of all this, however, is that we don't actually have any mana, or 'willpower' of our own to use. Essentially speaking, we can't naturally use magic."

Again, the five native mages could only look at him, perplexed. "But… wait… then how did you two use those spells yesterday?" Louise asked the question on her fellow Helkeginians' minds.

"That would be thanks to you, actually," Fate answered truthfully, this time, not even waiting for their reaction to begin explaining. "As I said, we aren't exactly normal humans. Because of this, we ourselves do not possess any magical energy of our own. In order for us to use spells, we have to draw on the magic of another. Our master. Or rather, in the present case, our mistress, you."

He said the last word while staring at Louise directly in the eyes. Eyes that soon widened at those very words implied. The power that they had used the previous day. Feats of magic, some of which at the very least on the verge of square class… and they could only use those spells by using _her_ magic.

"_I'm not a failure!"_ the realization was practically a godsend to the youngest Vallière. It was still true that she couldn't cast a spell without having it explode in her face, but if what Fate said was true, then it was without a doubt that she truly _could_ become a mage. So far, he hadn't lied to her before –kept secrets, perhaps, but not lie– so he was likely telling the truth. At that point, it was only Louise's discipline, driven into her by her mother to act as a proper noblewoman that kept her from squeeing in elation.

Unmindful of the sheer happiness being emitted right in front of them –or rather, choosing to ignore it in favour of the bigger picture– professor Colbert rubbed at his chin as he analyzed Fate's newest revelation. "So… the four of you are like… living wands then?" he asked, slightly hesitantly as all eyes converged towards him.

At first, Fate himself seemed a little curious at the question, but eventually, he nodded. "That's actually an excellent analogy," he admitted, seeming to actually be a little impressed with the balding man's words.

"What do you mean by that?" Louise followed up, having come out of her reverie soon enough to actually have heard the question.

"It's actually a very simple conclusion," Colbert answered before Fate could even open his mouth. "A mage's wand, is, essentially, an object that, while magical in nature, possess no magic of its own. A mage uses a wand, by channelling their willpower into it, and then manipulating the willpower into a spell. Your familiars are rather similar in nature and in function, however, thanks to their ability to think and act independently, the four of them can execute the mechanism of wand work on their own. All they need is the energy supply."

The balding professor found the look of understanding that crossed Louise's face rather satisfying. For a teacher, it always did feel good to see that you succeeded in making your students learn and understand something new. It was a feeling he'd started to enjoy over the years. Still, it wasn't like what he said didn't have any drawbacks, and as an educator, he felt obliged to warn the girl. Not that he actually thought he needed to worry, what with her familiars loyalty towards her.

"Unfortunately, this also leaves them with a some glaring weaknesses." Colbert had made sure to make his tone as serious as possible then, without making it the least bit threatening. It was only when Louise started paying her undivided attention towards him did he continue. "Miss Vallière, because your familiars draw from your own magic reserves, this means that you cannot, under any circumstances, have them all using their strongest spells at once. Willpower depletion may not normally do much damage, but what you suffered yesterday did. I highly suggest that you keep them on a tight leash in terms of their magic. At least until you increase your own reserves."

"This warning is not just for Miss Vallière either," Old Osmond added, his eyes narrowed as they went from one familiar to the other. "I would rather not have to deal with one of my students continuously passing out throughout her time hear. Not only would that be bad for the image of the academy, it would also be a detriment to her health. I'm fine with the four of you using magic, but I'd rather not have miss Vallière fuelling spells at the level of the ones that were used in the duel yesterday until absolutely necessary. Am I clear?"

Left unsaid was the disbelief one would normally face when conceiving the idea of the resident class failure actually having enough power to fuel such spells, but considering she was likely the next void mage after the founder himself, it actually did make sense. Too bad that couldn't have been brought up now. Still, the point was made, and all four familiars, and their mistress, answered with a nod.

"Good." the aging headmaster nodded in return, turning his gaze over towards the pinkette directly in front of him with a smile on his face. "Now then, I believe you and your familiars should rest up. We may have excused you for half of your classes, but you must still attend the ones after lunch," he told her in as close as a grandfatherly tone as he could.

Louise, eventually, smiled in return. Getting up from her chair, she allowed her eyes to roam towards all four of her familiars' seats, where they themselves were beginning to stand up. "Fate," she finally spoke, turning towards her first familiar, who turned towards her curiously. "Do you think you guys have enough willpower to fly us up to my dorm?"

The moment he nodded, the youngest Vallière abandoned all her effort to reign in her joy.

-X-

Finally! I'm done!

Sorry for the long delay everyone. I had to go through at least a dozen different ways on how this whole chapter could have gone. Now I'm sure I got it to as best as I can. Sure, I won't say that it can't be improved, but then this was only the best _I _could do. If you know any way on how to improve it, feel free to tell me.

Now, as an apology for my late update, here's a preview of the next chapter.

-X-

"So… you're sure this whole pactio thing will _really _let that maid use magic?"

"If I assumed right and that the only reason commoners of this world cannot use magic is because they have too little mana to begin with, then yes."

"Oh… okay then, better question: _why_ exactly are we making it so that a commoner will soon be able to use magic?"

"To ensure loyalty, of course."

Later…

"Is that…?"

"What? It's just bird wing?"

"Actually mistress, _that_ is one of the deadliest magic artifacts that any pure magic user could ever run into: To Phtero Tis Harpuia."

"A rather impressive artifact for a mere servant."

-X-

Anyone willing to take a stab at where I got that idea from? Or for that matter, what it does?


	5. Hiatus

To all the readers of Puppets of Zero, I'm sorry to say that I'm going to have to put it on hold for now. I'm afraid I've hit writer's block with this story, and with the new Negima arc, I've started to reconsider the original dynamics I've been planning. That said, I probably won't be updating this until at least late February, after my IGCSEs are over and done with.

I only have so much time to write stories nowadays and getting stuck on one of them is definitely not a good sign.

Rest assured though, I will finish this. I already gave in a few times before, but not with this one.


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